Affirm

Growth and the opportunities that it creates are the biggest pro of working at Affirm. Since I joined in the last few months, huge wins have been made on the business development and sales sides that suggest this company has what it takes to reach escape velocity. As a software engineer, this makes it easy to understand what we need to build and how my contributions will move the business forward.

As important as partnerships are at this company, Affirm remains engineering-focused, likely because of our founder. The benefits package, which feels generous for a startup of this size and profitability, caters toward building knowledge and excellence in all areas of life.

Recruiting is top-notch, and I was surprised how well the company hires versus both the big-box tech companies and other hot startups. Having only worked at companies with similar levels of talent, I was happy to not have to compromise here.

As with most fast-moving startups, there is some technical debt. The fast pace of the business also means there is less time than I would like to explore new technologies for use at the company and for personal growth.

Additionally, while many startups win by making simplifying assumptions and avoiding regulation, we are a fintech company. Thus, we make it our competitive edge to deal with all the complexity that finance and regulation create. At times, the nuance created by this can be frustrating.

Keep pushing. Greatness remains in sight!

Also, I appreciate how we have a no-nonsense culture compared to a bunch of other unicorns that have been in the press lately.